Before whatsapp groups happened, how did women show off their Krishna Jayanthi decorations to relatives and friends? Did they just do something simple that appealed to them and let that be? Wow. That must have been peaceful and boring.

Those days, they didn’t try to make it look pretty. A heap of mangoes would lie in a corner of my grandma’s Poojai room, left there to ripen slowly. A motley set of photos and figurines lined the window sill and wall around it in no particular order. The Kamakshi Amman vilakku (lamp) stood in the middle. A stack of Sami-books lay in a corner. A godrej bero stood in a corner unrelated to everything else in the room. This was the set-up the whole year round. I can only imagine what my Ammama would have said if I had asked her to make it look cute for a picture.

Remember this is the family that cannot sit together for a family picture, the family that will not change out of lungis and crushed cotton sarees, children were always just in jattis, a family where some will grumble about photos shortening their life-span and others who cannot smile and still others who’re just too busy for this shit.

If I had asked my Ammama to pretty up the poojai room for a picture, the old lady would have kicked me out on my butt and given me the toilet brush and phenoyl bottle and asked me to start from there. She took no nonsense. She ran a big busy house. She cooked round the clock, served coffee, Maltova and Horlicks to different people at different times of the day without anyone asking, remembered to sprinkle sugar on my upma for my school tiffen, told me stories and dozed off midway but started off right from where she left off once I woke her up and let me plait her beautiful long hair while she took her afternoon nap. She didn’t care what people thought of her.

I think the world of my Pattamma Ammama.

I am not there yet. I still feel I need to show the world when I’ve worn a saree.

When I get to her state of un-care I would be fully free.

Her unique brand of cynicism and wit have rubbed off on her grandchildren as also her love for good food and cooking. This teriyaki Noodles is not from her recipe box obviously. I made it up as I went along just like she would have. I love teriyaki spice blend in barbecues and grills. Noodles, veggies and teriyaki sauce sounded yummy together in my head. So I simply went with that. I am happy to say it turned out incredibly delicious. Hasini and Yuvan loved the Teriyaki noodles and finished off the leftovers as evening snack. It’s a yummy way to eat your vegetables too. Try today. I am sure you’ll love it. Enjoy!

Her unique brand of cynicism and wit have rubbed off on her grandchildren as also her love for good food and cooking. This teriyaki Noodles is not from her recipe box obviously. I made it up as I went along just like she would have. I love teriyaki spice blend in barbecues and grills. Noodles, veggies and teriyaki sauce sounded yummy together in my head. So I simply went with that. I am happy to say that the Teriyaki noodles turned out incredibly delicious. It’s a lovely explosion of flavours – hot, sweet, spicy and tangy all in one mouthful. Hasini and Yuvan loved the Teriyaki noodles and finished off the leftovers as evening snack. It’s a yummy way to eat your vegetables too. Try today. Enjoy!

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Print Recipe

Teriyaki Noodles

This veggie Teriyaki noodles is incredibly delicious. It's a lovely explosion of flavours - hot, sweet, spicy and tangy all in one mouthful.

Heat water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles as per package instructions. I usually break apart the noodles by hand and then drop in boiling water. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then switch off and let noodles sit in the hot water for another 3 minutes or until it is al-dente, cooked but still firm. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under running water to stop cooking the noodles any further. Add a teaspoon of oil to the noodles and toss lightly to coat. Set aside.

Grind together all ingredients called for under Teriyaki spice paste. To a small sauce pan, add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil turns hot, add the ground teriyaki spice paste. Cook on medium high for 3-5 minutes or until the spice paste thickens and loses most of the water. Switch off. Set aside the cooked spice paste.

To a large wok, add the remaining oil. When the oil turns hot, add the sliced onion and fry on high heat for a minute. Add the rest of the vegetables except paneer and capsicum and fry for about 7-8 minutes tossing frequently to avoid burning. When the veggies are crisp-tender, add the paneer and capsicum and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring and tossing in between.

Now add the cooked teriyaki spice paste and salt and mix well. Add the cooked noodles and mix gently so that the noodles and veggies are evenly coated with the spice paste. Taste and adjust seasoning. Switch off. Serve hot. Enjoy!

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Welcome to Foodbetterbegood!
I am Jayanthi. I love to cook. I am the one who lingers on at a function to have a word with the caterer to ask him for the vathal kuzhambu recipe. I amass recipes and I covet my knives.
I love a good story. I believe everyone does. If you love stories, if you love good food, you are at the right place.
You’ll see snatches of my writing, my DIY attempts and antique love in this space. You’ll see good food and simple recipes and plenty of stories. Foodbetterbegood is my diary.